Coiling machine



Aug. 30, 1938. w. s. ADAMS 2,123,278

' comma MACHINE 7 Filed Feb. 6, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V ATTORNEYS so, 1938. I

W. S. ADAMS COILIING MACHINE Filed Feb. 6, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1N VENT OR.

WLLl/IMJ ADA/14.6.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. so, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE comma monnm Application February 6, 1937, Serial No. 124,364

4 Claims.

My invention relates toa method and apparatus for coiling metal rods and wires, etc.

Heavy metal wire, cable and rod, which is generally wire having a diameter of about of an inch or more, have a considerable stiffness or resistance to bending. If wrapped about a form, to form coils, or if drawn into the form of coils by a rotating form, a considerable sidewise bending is required, which may result in stresses in the finished coil that are troublesome and undesirable. I

In my present invention, the wire or rod is formed into coils without wrapping it about a form, but by causing it to move gradually from a longitudinal movement into a circular movement at approximately the same speed, so that it will fall naturally into the circular shape required to form the coils. The rods, wires or cables may be of any cross sectional shape and of any dimension which permits forming into coils.

In forming the coils, the wire or rod is fed or pushed through a suitable guiding means tangentially into an annular channel rotating at a peripheral speed corresponding to the linear speed of the wire or rod as it enters the channel. The linear speed of the rod or wire is thus transformed without change and without tension or pull into a circular speed, which causes the wire or rod to fall into the form of a coil. When a coil of suflicient size has thus been built up, it may be removed from the channel. Preferably, the channel is horizontal and rotates about an upright or substantially vertical axis. The bottom of the channel, on which the coil is supported as it is built up, is formed of plates hinged inwardly of the inner wall of the channel, so that they may be swung downwardly to permit a completed coil to fall out of the channel, whereupon the plates may be closed for the building up of a succeeding. coil.

The various features of my invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which- Flg. 1 is a vertical axial section of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section similar to that of Fig". l; but on a larger scale, of the receiving channel, showing the door closed in full line position and open in broken lines to permit a coil to drop to the position shown in broken lines; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectiona' View of a part of the annular channel showing guide rollers; Fig. 4 is a plan view on the plane l of Fig. l and Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section of a part of the coil-forming channel showing an anti-friction bearing therefor.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and'2 of the accompanying drawings, a wire, rod or cable I0 is supplied through a downwardly sloping guide ll tangentially into an annular channel formed between an outer wall l2 and an inner wall l3. The inner wall i3 is inwardly flanged at M and secured, as-by bolts ii, to a downwardly and outwardly or bell-shaped supporting structure It. The supporting structure I6 is in turn secured by a bolt l1 to the flange of a hollow collar l8 journalled in a supporting bracket I9 extending upwardly from a base 20. The bracket 1 9 is provided with guide and thrust bearings 2| and 22, in which the collar i8 revolves. The collar l8 and with it the member l6 and inner wall i3 are rotated by a drive shaft 23 through the bevel gear 24 on the shaft and thebevel gear 25 on the collar. as to correspond with the linear speed of the rod or wire i0.

The outer wall I2 is provided with a projection 26 which is rotatably supported on a supporting ring 21, bolted as at 28 to the upright bracket IS. The outer wall I 2 is thus free to rotate with the inner wall l3. A covering flange 28' of angular cross-section may be -mounted on the angular projection 26 to overlap and cover the upper edge ofthe ring 21. Horizontal rollers 29 are journalled between upper and lower lugs 30 and 3| at intervals about the periphery of the ring 21 to guide the outer wall l2 and thus insure a uniform or substantially uniform space between the inner and outer walls. An anti-friction bearing consisting of balls 32 between upper and lower raceways 33 and 34 and spaced by spacing rings 35 may be employed to support the wall I2 on the ring 21, as shown more particularly in Fig. 5.

As the rod or wire I0 is pushed or fed into the annular channel formed between the inner and outer walls l3 and" I2, its direction of travel changes from a linear to a circumferentialdirection, but without change of speed, so that it curves to a circular formation in successive turns to form a coil 36. The coil 36in process of formation is supported by a number of horizontal plates 31 hinged at their inner edges by means of pintles 38 to brackets 39 on the lower inner surface of the wall l3. The bottom plates 31 extend radially outwardly to the lower edge of the outer annular wall l2, which they meet, preferably in a conical or pyramid form 40. The plates 31 are normally held in their horizontal, supporting position by means of links ll extending radially The speed of rotation is such from radial brackets 42 on the lower part of a vertical collar 43 to depending brackets 44 extending downwardly from the supporting plates 31.

This construction is such tha downward thrust on the plate 31, due to the weight of the coil 36, is transmitted as a longitudinal compressive stress in thelink 4| and thus to the bracket 42. The bracket 44 may be of a trussed construction, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in order to impart strength and rigidity to it and to its connection with the plate 31. It will be apparent that when the collar 43 is in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, the thrust on the link 4| will be radially inward, thus providing a very rigid and solid support for the plates 31. When the collar'43 is drawn upwardly to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, the links will pull the door 31 open, as indicated in broken lines andpermit the completed coil to drop intthe direction indicated by the arrows.

The collar 43 is moved upwardly and downwardly for closing and opening the plates 31 by means of a vertically movable piston rod 45 that extends upwardly through a depending guide 45 and a hollow inner bearing 41 in the collar l8 to a piston 43 within a cylinder 43. The piston and piston rod 48, 45 may be stationary during the rotation of the collar l3 and the annular channel formed by the walls l2 and I3 'and the collar 43. The collar or sleeve i3 and the collar 43 are, therefore, rotatable relatively to the piston rod 45.

An anti-friction thrust bearing 50 is preferably provided between a flange. 5| on the lower part of the rod 45 and a shoulder 52 on the collar 43 and a cap 53 on the latter. This permits the collar to rotate freely on the rod 45 and enables upward anddownward movements oi the rod 45 to be transmitted to the links 4| to open and close the bottom plate 31. The upward and downward movement of the piston rod 45 is accomplishjed'by fluid under pressure to the piston 48 through the pipes 54 and 55, respectively.

Through my invention, rod and heavy or stifi wire, such as'copper or other'metal wire are caused to assume the circular curvature and form into coils without applying any bending agencies to the rod or wire. The wire thus falls into smooth uniform turns and lies in a natural position in the coil.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for coiling rod, wire and the like which comprises an inner circular wall, means for rotatably suspending and driving said wall, an outer wall coaxial with said inner wall and spaced therefrom to form an annular channel, plateshinged at their inner edges to the lower part of said inner wall and extending from the lower parts of said inner to said outer annular wall, said plates having depending brackets, means slidable vertically coaxially of said annular walls and links extending substantially horizontally from said depending brackets to said vertically movable means to hold said plates in horizontal position and to permit said plates to swing downwardly when said means is moved vertically.

2. Apparatus forcoiling rod, wire and the like which comprises an inner circular wall, means for rotatably suspending and driving said wall, an outer wall coaxial with said inner wall and spaced therefrom to form an annular channel, plates hinged at their inner edges to said inner wall and extending below said inner wall to said outer wall to support a coil of wire between said walls, said plates having depending brackets, bracket supporting means slidable vertically on said suspending means and links connecting said depending brackets to said vertically movable supporting means and being substantially horizontal when said hinged plates are in horizontal position.

. 3. Apparatus for coiling rod, wire and the like which comprises an inner wall of inverted, frusto-v conical shape, means for rotatably suspending and rotating said wall on a vertical axis, an outer wall coaxial with and rotatable with said-inner wall and spaced therefrom to form a downwardly flaring annular channel, plates hinged to said inner wall and extending horizontally to said outer wall, said plates having depending brackets,

a vertical shaft coaxial withsaid inner wall and links connecting said shaft to said depending brackets and being substantially horizontal when said hinged plates are in horizontal position.

4. Apparatus for coiling rod, wire and the like which comprises an inner circular wall, means for rotatably suspending and rotating said wall on a vertical axis, an outer wall coaxial with and rotatable with said inner wall and spaced therefrom to form anannular channel, plates hinged'to the inner side of said inner wall and extending below said wall horizontally to the lower edge of said outer wall, said plates having depending brackets, a vertical shaft coaxial with said inner wall and links connecting said shaft to said depending brackets and being substantially horizontal when said hinged plates are in horizontal position and pneumatic means for moving said shaft vertically.

WILLIAM s. ADAMS. 

